Citrus Salad

Step 1

Make the syrup: Use a vegetable peeler to remove the lemon zest in long strips leaving behind as much of the white pith as possible. Juice the lemon into a small bowl. In a small saucepan set over medium heat, combine honey, water, vanilla bean seeds and pod, strips of lemon peel, and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Let simmer for 5 to 8 minutes, until it’s infused and slightly thickened. Stir and remove from heat.

Step 2

Prepare the fruit: Cut the top and bottom portion off of one of the oranges – you just want to expose the flesh. Set the orange on a cutting board and remove the skin and white pith working from top to bottom and following the curve of the fruit. Flip it over and cut away any remaining pieces of skin. The fruit flesh should be exposed. Slice the orange into rounds. Repeat with the remaining oranges and kiwis. For the grapefruit follow the same process as you did with the oranges, but instead of slicing into rounds, supreme the fruit and segment it.

Step 3

Dress and serve: Pour the syrup through a fine mesh strainer to remove the lemon peel and vanilla bean. Transfer the sliced citrus and kiwi to a bowl. Add the vanilla honey syrup. Add the ribboned basil (or mint). Gently toss to coat. For a casual presentation serve this salad in the bowl and garnish with pomegranate seeds or for something a little fancier, arrange the sliced fruit on a platter, garnish with pomegranate seeds and a few more herbs then serve.